Uganda has reached a deal with the United States to take deported migrants, but only under tight conditions, officials confirmed on Thursday.
Deportees must have no criminal record and cannot be unaccompanied minors, the foreign affairs ministry said, adding that “the two parties are working out the detailed modalities on how the agreement shall be implemented.”
Ugandan officials also expressed a preference that nationals of African countries should be included in the arrangement.
The ministry statement said the deal had been “concluded,” though it was not specified if it had been formally signed.
International relations minister Henry Okello Oryem stressed that Uganda is recognized globally for its refugee-friendly policies, but warned that limits exist.
“We are talking about cartels: people who are unwanted in their own countries. How can we integrate them into local communities in Uganda?” he asked.
Oryem also noted that the government was focused on negotiations concerning “visas, tariffs, sanctions, and related issues, not accepting illegal aliens from the U.S. That would be unfair to Ugandans.”
